Moving platform for theaters.



J. A. H. RAYMOND.

MOVING PLATFORM FOR THEATERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1911.

1 ,O40,41 1 Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

J. A. H. RAYMOND w/ 11155555 1 m vznrofl wLuMlnA PLANOGRAPH c0..WASHINGTON. D. c.

JOSEPH ANTONIO HILAIRE RAYMOND, OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

MOVING PLATFORM FOR THEATERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1912.

Application filed June 9, 1911. Serial No. 632,215.

collect a second fare if the spectator remains for a repetition of theshow.

It consists of two endless traveling platforms occupying nearly thewhole width of the hall, except the aisles on each side and 1 center.The platforms are provided with rows of chairs or seats. One of theseplatforms moves forward, carrying the rows of seats toward the stagewhere each row of seats is transferred bodily, one after the other tothe other side of the hall on the platform which travels backward, untilthe rows of seats have traveled to the rear, where they are transferredagain to the first platform which moves forward and so on, until theshow is finished.

The spectator is admitted on one side of the hall where the platformmoves forward and takes the nearest seat to the door. All the seats aremoved about 211- feet, in about half a minute, with a pause of aboutanother half minute. During the first half of the performance the seatsof one platform ad- Vance toward the stage where they are transferredbodily to the other platform and moved backward during the second halfof the performance till they reach the entrance where the spectator isat liberty to go out or sit still to witness the show a second time bypaying another fare. Necessary railings and partitions are placed nearthe door and to the front to prevent accidents. The platforms arecomposed of sets of slats hinged together so as to present an even lowersurface to run smooth over rollers all along their path. The uppersurface of the center slat of each set is provided with a tongueextending to within a few inches of its two extremities.

Its object is to bring to the notice The rows of seats are fixed toindependent floorings having a width of 2-1; feet and a length equal tothe width of the traveling platform, and the lower surface of each ofthese floorings has along its center a groove to fit the tongue of thecentral slat of each set so that the floorings are carried along by theplatform. The floorings are provided with rollers fixed transversely tothe path of the platform to insure their easy travel, crosswise, fromone platform to the other when the rows of seats reach the ends of theirpath.

When the flooring with its row of seats has reached the end of its pathat the front or at the rear of the hall, an endless chain runningtransversely to the path of the platforms and fitting on correspondingpins or sprockets fixed to the front and to the rear of each flooringcauses it to roll along the tongue of the center slat, along a similartongue across the center aisle and along the tongue of the center slatof the platform at the other side of hall, which platform will carry itto the other end of the hall where the same operation is repeated totransfer the seats back to the first platform and so on during theperformance.

In the drawings connected with this, specification: Figure 1. is alongitudinal view or section of the moving feature of the invention.Fig. 2. is a partlal top view of the platforms.

1. is one of the traveling platforms.

2. are broad tired wheels supporting the platforms.

3. are the rollers supporting the platforms, on their upper travel. l.are other rollers supporting the platforms, on their lower transit.

5. are the grooves under the floorings of seats.

6. are the slats composing the traveling platforms.

7 f is the central slat of each set having a tongue 7 to fit the groove5.

7. is the tongue on the upper surface of the center slat.

8. are the rollers transversely fixed to the scat flooring.

9. are the seats.

10. are the endless chains to move the rows of seats from one platformto the other.

11. is one of the floorings for the seats 9.

12. are the sprocket wheels of the endless chains.

13. is the tongue fixed across the center aisle to guide the fiooringsfrom one platform to the other.

1 1. are the sprocket wheels fixed to the cross shafts 16 to move thetraveling platforms.

15. are the links of the endless chain 10 to fit on the teeth 35.

16 and 1 9. are the shafts of the sprocket Wheels 1 1 and broad tiredwheels 2.

17 and 18. are miter gears to insure the regularity of the reversemotion of the shafts 16 and 19.

20. is the shaft communicating motion to the sprocket wheels 12, 12.

21. are the wheels on the main shaft communicating motion to the endlesschains 10, 10 through belts.

22. is a cog wheel receiving motion from the main wheel 23.

23. is the main wheel connected with the power supply.

241. is an intermediate Wheel to transfer motion from the main wheel 23to the wheel 25.

25. is a wheel carrying cogs on one half of its circumference only toimpart motion to the whole system during one half minute and continueits own motion without affecting the rotation of wheel 27.

26. is a side view of wheel 25.

27. is a cog wheel moved by the rotation of the wheel 25.

28. is a cog wheel fixed on the same shaft as wheel 27 to rotate, inopposite direction, the two wheels 29 and 30.

.29 and 30. are wheels turning the endless screws 31 and 32 setting thewhole system into operation.

31 and 32. are endless screws acting upon the worm wheels 33 and 34which are fixed to shafts 16 and 19, respectively.

35. are pins or sprockets fixed t0 the front and to the rear of the seatfioorings to be acted upon by the endless chains.

Having thus described the invention in all its details, still be itunderstood, that certain modifications may be introduced provided themain features of the following claim are not overstepped.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

The above described system of platforms which consists in an endlessplatform supported on rollers and moving forward; the lower return partthereof also supported by rollers; another endless platform alsosupported by rollers similar to the first and moving backward; the twoactuated by endless chains and sprocket wheels; each platform beingcomposed of sets of slats hinged together so as to offer a smoothcontact surface to the rollers, the center slat of each set bearing aprojecting tongue; seats for the public fixed to separate andindependent fioorings, each having on its lower face a groove to fit thetongue of the center slat of the sets; rollers fixed under the flooringsof the seats; endless chains to move the floorings, from one platform tothe other; pins or sprockets fixed to the front and to the rear of thefloorings, fitting the links of the endless chains; a main wheel 23 toactuate the wheel 24:; a wheel 25 having cogs on one half of itscircumference and acting intermittingly onwheel 27 to revolve inopposite directions the worm screws 31 and 32 which move the twoplatforms simultaneously in opposite direction and a miter gear toinsure the regularity of the motion, for

the purpose and in the manner hereinabove specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

JOSEPH ANTONIO HILAIRE RAYMOND. [11. s] WVitnesses E. BILANGER, [L.S.]P. HorN'rz. '[L.S.]

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

